


The Training Room

by jaztice



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst and Humor, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, M/M, and also being gay, and then, being dorks, doesn't really get angsty until the end, everything, everything starts in the training room, honestly, it started out so innocent and then, it's mainly shiro and allura pining after each other and the fam decides to do something about it, lance and keith in the background, there should be a fluff angst and humor tag, well you thought wrong, you thought i could write something without it turning into angst didn't you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 20:04:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7282861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaztice/pseuds/jaztice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shiro hadn’t expected to find Allura in the training room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hook

**Author's Note:**

> dedicated to sophia and her shiro daddy kink  
> i hate her

Shiro hadn’t expected to find Allura in the training room.

He’d finished lunch about an hour ago, and he knew the training room would most likely be empty. And quiet. Lance and Keith had been arguing about something and pulled Pidge into it, and Pidge was having none of it. Hunk was busy trying to cook and kept yelling at everyone to shut up. Shiro figured it was time to leave when green goo started flying.

Besides, he wanted to train a little more with his metal arm, make sure he knew what his limitations were. Even if he knew how to fight with it, his memories were still pretty fuzzy. This was the perfect opportunity to test it out a little more.

He hadn’t expected to find Princess Allura already in the training room, taking on three sparring robots at once.

Her hair was up in a bun and sweat glistened on her brow, her eyes focused on the enemies. She’d lost her usual space suit and was wearing what looked like a black sports bra with pants and boots, easy to maneuver in and stay cool. Strands of white hair had fallen out of her bun and framed her face. She fought with elegance and grace, like a dancer, using only a plain metal staff to take down the three robots quickly and efficiently.

As the last one dropped to the ground with a metal clang, Shiro realized he’d been staring.

His face flushed as Allura turned around, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. A smile spread across her face, and Shiro’s stomach did a somersault.

“Shiro! Hello!” she called out, waving with her free hand. “Were you coming to train?”

“Oh, uh…” Shiro told himself to focus. What was wrong with him? It was just Allura.

“Don’t worry, I was just leaving,” Allura replied, taking his hesitation for politeness. She grabbed a towel off a table on her way to the door, rubbing the back of her neck, and smiled at Shiro as she threw him the staff.

He caught it on instinct, and the small part of his brain that was still miraculously working told him he was staring again.

“What?” Allura asked, pausing at the door. She raised an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”

_Say something, you moron._

“No!” he said quickly. “No, sorry, just… lost in thought.” He wished his heart would stop beating so rapidly, it was distracting. As were Allura’s arms, but he decided not to focus on that.

Allura’s smile softened and she nodded, turning around to head down the hall. Shiro watched her go until the functioning part of his brain told him to stop, he had to train, what was he even doing staring after Allura? It was just Allura, what the hell was suddenly so special about her?

He set the robots on level one and started sparring, but he was too distracted to get anything done. When one of the robots kicked him into the wall for the third time, Shiro figured he should give it up and go rest. Maybe that would help clear his head.

* * *

Pidge noticed it first, about a week later.

They’d been eating dinner together, all seven of them, munching on whatever glorious dish Hunk had managed to cook up with the Altean leftovers in the ship. It was pretty good, but Shiro hadn’t really focused on the food. Lance kept telling funny stories and making everyone laugh. Making Allura laugh. Every time she did, the room felt a little warmer.

After they’d all dumped their dishes in the sink for the castle to wash, Pidge pulled him into a corridor away from the others.

“Whoa, hey,” Shiro said, looking at Pidge in concern. “Is something wrong?”

“Shiro, how long have you liked Allura?”

His face turned red before he could stop it. Pidge just crossed his arms and waited, his expression stubborn.

“What are you talking about?” Shiro asked, a little miffed. What was this kid playing at? “I’m not– Of course I like her, she’s our friend!”

“Seriously? You know what I mean.”

Shiro stared at him, trying to focus himself. “I… I don’t… Where are you even getting this?”

“You were staring at her all through dinner, Shiro.” God, Pidge looked really done. “And yesterday during training. And the day before that in the control room. And for pretty much the entire past week.”

“I have not, I just…” Shiro paused, thinking back. Oh god, he _had_ been staring. What the hell was he thinking? “I-I was just… wait.”

Pidge rolled his eyes. “Dude, seriously,” he said, “it’s ridiculous.”

“No, I don’t–” Shiro started spluttering. “That has nothing to do with, I wasn’t…” He trailed off, trying to thing back to the past week.

This was _not_ what Pidge thought it was, absolutely no way in hell. Shiro wouldn’t do something like this. He was the leader, determined and focused on the mission at hand. There was no time for… _that_. But the further he thought back, the more Pidge’s assumptions made sense. The day in the training room when he caught her fighting, how his heart seemed to swell every time she smiled, the strands of hair that got in her face when she tied it all up in a bun… Shiro caught himself thinking about her lips and immediately pulled the plug on that train of thought, his face burning.

Pidge just smirked as Shiro put the heel of his hand to his forehead, wondering how he could’ve gotten into this situation.

“Oh shit,” he breathed, cringing. He inhaled, then exhaled, then inhaled again. “Crap.”

Pidge laughed.

“Shiro, you need help,” he said.

“I’m not–!” He reined himself back in, trying not to yell. “I’m not going to… Look, Pidge, she’s not – I, we can’t… We don’t have time for this.”

“We don’t have time?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “We all live on the same ship.”

“But it can’t happen! We’re too busy fighting the Galra, and she has to focus on a thousand other things. And I’m busy leading Voltron, okay? Besides she wouldn’t…” Shiro trailed off again, not letting himself finish that sentence. What was he, a twelve-year-old? He didn’t have time for this, he was the head of a universe-saving super robot. And she certainly didn’t have time for him.

Pidge just sighed and turned around, waving his hand dismissively. “Alright, fine,” he said, “you win. I’ll go.”

“Don’t–” Shiro stopped himself, feeling like an idiot. What did it matter anyway?

Pidge turned around and smiled. “I won’t tell anyone, Shiro, don’t worry.”

He walked down the hall and turned a corner, vanishing from Shiro’s sight, leaving the Black Paladin unsure how to feel.

* * *

A few days later, Lance and Keith were hanging out in the lounge.

“Have you noticed Shiro’s been acting weirdly?” Keith asked, practicing a few moves with his sword. Lance was lounging on the couch, playing some videogame Coran had dug up for him.

“Huh?” Lance looked up and crashed his tiny spaceship, causing the screen to go read and blare incessantly. “Damn it! What did you say?”

“I asked if you’d noticed Shiro being weird lately. He’s acting a little off.”

“Oh, yeah.” Lance dropped the game on the couch cushion next to him and leaned back. “He has been acting kind of weird.”

“What do you think it is?”

“I dunno. But he’s only been acting that way around Allura–”

The two boys froze and stared at each other, Keith’s weapon dropping out of his hand.

“ _No_ ,” they said in unison.

Just then, Hunk walked through one of the doorways, tinkering with something in his hand, and glanced at the both of them.

“Hey guys,” he said, “what’s up?”

Keith and Lance looked at each other.

“Hunk,” Lance said, “we need your professional opinion on someth–”

“We think Shiro’s in love with Allura,” Keith interrupted.

Lance cast him a dirty look as Hunk raised both eyebrows. “Wait, seriously?” he asked. “No way, that’s impossible, he’s–” Hunk paused. “Wait.”

He stared at them. “Oh my god.”

“See?!” Lance practically screamed. He jumped up on the couch, striking a dramatic pose that made Keith want to smack him. “We need to do something about this, now.”

“Like what?” Keith asked.

“I don’t know, get them together! Be his wingman! Something.”

“Hey, haven’t you been hitting on her since the second you met her?” Keith asked, scooping up his sword.

“Eh, I’ve got my eyes set on someone else now.” Lance turned to him and smirked, raising one eyebrow suggestively. Keith turned away, blushing furiously.

“Oh my god.” Hunk groaned and sat down on the couch across from Lance. “Could you two stop being gay for five seconds?”

“No way, not when he still gets so adorably flustered.”

Keith glared at him. “I have a sword, Lance.”

“Never mind!”

“Okay, back to the point.” Hunk lifted his hands, trying to bring back the conversation. “What are we going to do with this information?”

“With what information?” Pidge asked.

They all turned as he entered the room, his computer under one arm as he fixed his glasses with the other. He was staring at them like they were crazy.

“Pidge!” Lance leaped off the couch and grabbed the kid by the arm, yanking him over to the center of the room. Pidge yelled a, “Hey!” but it was ignored. Keith also came running over, forming a tight huddle near Hunk.

“We’re having a top secret information session,” Lance informed Pidge. “We think Shiro likes Allura.”

They all stared at Pidge for a reaction, but he just stared at Lance blankly. “Yeah, I know. He does.”

“WHAT?!” Lance yelled.

“Wait, how do you know?” Keith asked.

“I noticed it like three days ago and asked him about it. Where have you guys been? It’s obvious.”

Keith gave him a dirty glare as Lance continued to jump around the room, pulling his hair out. Hunk sighed – always the voice of reason, again. Forever.

“Okay, back to the point,” he said. “So we know Shiro likes her. But does Allura like him? We should probably confirm that before trying anything.”

“Yeah, true,” Keith said, rubbing his chin. “We have to figure that out first.”

“But how?” Pidge asked. “Just waltz right up ask, ‘hey, Allura, do you think Shiro is hot? Asking for absolutely no reason.’”

“Well, no,” Keith said, pouting. “I don’t know, maybe–”

“Coran!” Lance suddenly shouted.

Everyone stopped and turned to him in varying states of confusion. He just whipped around, standing on the couch with a shit-eating grin.

“We can ask Coran!” Lance said.

They kept staring.

“What?” he asked. “We tell him we know Shiro likes her, ask if he can find out if the feeling’s mutual, and bam! Problem solved.”

Pidge blinked. “That’s… actually not a bad idea.”

“Yeah, I’m surprised,” Keith said.

“Surprised? Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence,” Lance said, putting his hands on his hips.

“What? I’m just used to your ideas being total trash.”

“Okay!” Pidge shouted, shoving his way in between the two of them before Lance could take off Keith’s head. “Can we focus please?”

“Yeah, seriously,” Hunk said. “Who wants to ask Coran?”

Lance paused. “I’ll do it.”

“You sure you got it?” Keith asked, smirking.

“Listen, man, I don’t care if you have a sword, when I get my hands on you–”

“Lance, chill!” Pidge shouted pushing him away. “Go ask Coran!”

Lance huffed and walked out of the door, glaring at Keith the whole way out.

* * *

“Princess! I thought I might find you here.”

Allura looked up from her screen, smiling at Coran. She’d been running diagnostic tests on the ship for the past hour and was starting to get tired. This was probably a good excuse for a break.

“Hello Coran,” she said, smiling. “How are you?”

“Oh, I’m perfectly fine, miss. What about you?”

“I’m fine as well.” She leaned back and spun around in her chair, looking at Coran. “Was there something you wanted to talk about?”

“Actually, yes.” Coran took a seat across from her, folding his arms. “I’ve been a little worried about Shiro lately.”

“Shiro? Why?” she asked. What was wrong with Shiro? Had he been having flashbacks again?

“Oh I don’t know, he’s been acting a bit strange. Have you noticed?”

“Oh, um…” Allura thought back and realized yes, Shiro had been acting odd lately. “I have, actually. Yes. What do you think is wrong?”

“I’m not sure,” Coran admitted with a shrug. “Maybe some strange human personality defect or something?”

“Oh I doubt that,” Allura said. “He acts perfectly fine in battle. It’s only in normal situations when his personality seems to shift. He’s usually so stiff and mature, but lately… I’m not sure, it’s like he’s been smiling more, acting almost nervous and giddy. Not usual for him.”

“You seem to have been paying a lot of attention to Shiro, Princess,” Coran said with a smirk. Allura felt herself blush.

“Whatever you’re trying to imply, stop. It’s a ridiculous notion,” she said, turning back to the diagnostics panel.

“Oh? And what am I implying?”

“Nothing! Go away.”

Coran just chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “I’ve known you for a good many years, Allura,” he said. “I can tell when you’re in love.”

“I am _not_ in love!” she shouted, but she continued to stare at the diagnostics screen, fuming at how well Coran could read her. “I’m not. And even if I was, it wouldn’t matter, because we’re both too busy saving the universe to get involved in any way, and he’s busy being the head of Voltron and certainly doesn’t need me distracting him.”

Coran just wouldn’t stop chuckling, would he? She turned to glare at him.

“Alright then, princess, whatever you say,” he said, standing up. “I’ll leave you be.”

A thought occurred to Allura and she panicked. “Coran, don’t you _dare_ tell Shiro any of this, I swear–”

“My lips are sealed, don’t you worry,” he said with a smile. He winked and walked out the door, leaving her alone.

* * *

Once the door was shut, Coran turned to his left and gave the boys hiding near the end of the hall a thumbs up. They all high-fived as quietly as they could and ran off into the castle, and Coran walked the other way, whistling innocently.

Time for part two.


	2. Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> time for Allura to kick some ass

Allura was not stupid. She knew a scheme when she saw one, especially one concocted by teenage boys who had the maturity of ten-year-olds. She was also pretty good at figuring out the end game of such schemes, and she was exceptional at thwarting them.

But she hadn’t expected said scheme to involve her and Shiro. Together.

That damn slimy Coran had blabbed his mouth hadn’t he.

The scheme, as far as Allura could tell, had involved everyone gathering in the training room to do some exercises together, with Coran sitting out to judge the matches. There wasn’t much to do on the ship while it drifted through space, so friendly competitions were the best way to spend time.

At first, it was fun. Shiro and Hunk fought, the rest of them sitting with Coran to watch, and Shiro easily beat the yellow paladin – although somewhat gingerly, probably to avoid hurting his feelings. Allura smiled. Always a gentleman, that one.

Next, it was her turn, only she was up against Pidge. He was quick on his feet and knew how to use his surroundings, but Allura was agile and had sharper reflexes. She managed to knock his feet out from under him and press her staff under his neck, winning the match. Pidge just smiled and climbed up.

While Lance and Keith fought (furiously, of course), Pidge, Hunk, and Coran grouped together and started whispering, casting glances towards Allura and Shiro. Her eyes narrowed. Something was amiss.

“So, who do you think’s gonna win?” Shiro asked, leaning against the wall. He glanced at her and smiled, and Allura tried to ignore the feeling of her insides melting. “I’m betting Keith.”

“Hm, that’s fair,” she said, crossing her arms. She watched the match, pretending to be grossly interested. “He’s certainly faster and more agile, and he has more skill than Lance.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of Keith knowing how to make Lance mad,” Shiro said, shrugging. “It’s harder to fight someone with emotions in the way.”

Allura laughed. “And you’d know about that?” she asked.

“Eh, not really. The only one here who can really piss me off is Lance.”

“Hm.” Allura glanced at Shiro, trying to read his face, and caught herself tracing his jawline with her eyes. She quickly glanced away and turned to the match. Lance had apparently gone crazy at something Keith said, and Keith was now sorely beating him into the ground.

“See?” Shiro said as Keith pinned Lance to the ground with a smirk. “Told you.”

“I never said you were wrong, paladin.”

Shiro just smirked and walked into the ring, now his turn to fight again. Allura rolled her eyes.

But as Allura watched the match, she began seeing small hints that set her on edge. Shiro was off his game – not too much, but enough for Allura to notice. His reactions were slower and he kept glancing in her direction, which she found a little strange. Even stranger was Keith didn’t use those opportunities to attack. He could’ve easily taken out Shiro several times, but he didn’t. In fact, he was pulling his attacks, going easy on Shiro. That wasn’t something Keith would do.

When she glanced towards Lance and the others, they all had smiles on their faces and mischievous glints in their eyes. Something was _definitely_ amiss.

Then Shiro knocked Keith to the ground and won the match, and Coran told Allura it was her turn to fight Shiro.

Something clicked, and she cast Coran a dirty look.

“What?” he asked defensively.

She narrowed her eyes before turning away and walking up to the ring. _They planned this on purpose, didn’t they,_ she thought. _Coran told them all and they’re doing this just to spite me. Of course they are._

She was going to murder them once she finished this fight. If they wanted her to fight Shiro, fine. She would fight Shiro. Just because she liked him didn’t mean she was going to let him win.

Shiro sighed and wiped the sweat off his brow as Keith walked out of the ring, winking at the boys behind her. She would’ve glared at him, but Shiro was a little distracting. _Focus_ , she told herself. _Don’t let his face get in the way of your victory. Or his shoulders. Or his eyes. Or… anything, damn it, pull yourself together!_

He saw her and smiled again, putting his hands on his hips. “Looks like we’re fighting, princess,” he said.

“Looks like,” she replied, smirking. She twirled her staff in one hand and slammed it onto the ground, tilting her head like she was issuing a challenge. “Ready to lose?”

“What makes you so sure you’re going to win?” he asked. He flicked his wrist and charged up his hand, the purple energy making the arm hum. “I’m not going to pull punches on you, you know.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 _This is fine_ , Allura thought as she and Shiro circled each other. Some of the boys had started cheering, but she tuned them out. _This is a fight. I can handle a fight. Don’t focus on him as Shiro, focus on him as an opponent. Take him out_.

Shiro lunged first, and Allura grinned.

They fought furiously, probably more furiously than Lance and Keith, but they were more evenly matched. At one point, Shiro sliced her staff in two with his hand, so she used them as dual wielding batons instead, nearly taking his head off with one soon after. Their parries and blows were so fast Allura wondered if the boys could even keep up.

Then, a few minutes into the fight, she saw something in Shiro’s face change. Their eyes met, and suddenly his went out of focus, distracted. Allura grinned – that was her cue.

She easily ducked under his arm and slammed her baton in his back, right at the bottom of his ribs, then swept his feet out from under him. His back slammed onto the floor and Allura pinned him down, half her staff under his chin.

The training room fell silent.

Both of them were breathing heavily, sweating and exhausted with adrenaline pumping through their veins, and Allura suddenly realized she was on top of him, staring at his eyes, and neither of them were saying a word. Their faces had never been this close before. His hair was tousled and his pupils were dilated. Shiro’s lips were parted so he could breathe through them, and Allura could feel his chest move up and down under her, his pulse racing. She realized hers was as well.

For a solid second, Allura didn’t want this moment to end.

But it did.

“HELL YEAH, ALLURA WINS!” Lance yelled, smacking someone on the back. “Pay up, Keith!”

“Ow, jeez, okay! Fine.”

Shiro blinked and grinned up at her, and Allura’s heart skipped a beat. _This man should be allowed to smile,_ she thought. _Not with his face_.

“I guess you did win,” he said.

Allura smirked back. “Guess I did,” she replied.

“I wonder how much Keith bet on me.”

“Hm, we should probably go find out.”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

Allura slipped off Shiro and stood up, holding her hand out to help him up as well. On his feet, Allura realized he was taller than her, but not by much. She’d never really noticed before.

“Nice job, Allura!” Pidge said, grinning widely. “Looks like we finally found someone who can take out Shiro!”

Allura laughed and didn’t notice Shiro’s cheeks flush at the wordplay, glaring at Pidge. “Thank you, Pidge,” she said, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. “But I believe it’s now time for lunch. Who wants to join me?”

“I’LL COOK!” Hunk yelled. Coran only had his mouth open halfway and cast him a dirty glare as Hunk ran towards the kitchen. The rest of them followed, Shiro rubbing the back of his neck and looking decidedly sheepish, as Pidge pulled her along behind Coran. Allura glanced back at Shiro and smiled.

If this was what those boys had been scheming about, Allura figured she didn’t find the endgame that bad.

* * *

Shiro was going to murder everyone.

He’d probably start with Pidge, but he would take out everyone else afterwards. They were all in on it, including Coran. He hadn’t figured it out until Pidge had said that line – that horrible, awful line that Shiro just _knew_ he was supposed to take the wrong way – and realized all five of them had been in on it. They’d organized the fight. Even Keith had been pulling his punches to make sure Shiro won. No one was innocent. No one. They all wanted him to suffer.

Granted, he hadn’t _minded_ getting pinned to the ground with Allura on top of him, but that was beside the point. He was suffering, and it was their fault.

“Pidge, you’re dead,” Shiro said, cornering him in a back hall and giving him his most withering glare. “Deader than dead, actually. I’ll have Hunk stuff you in a wrapping and cook you.”

“Well that’s rude,” Pidge said.

“You know what I’m talking about! I told you not to tell anyone!”

“I didn’t! They figured it out on their own!” Pidge shrugged sheepishly. “I mean, you aren’t exactly subtle, Shiro.”

He stared at him, feeling his cheeks start to flush. “They… figured it out?”

“Uh, yeah. Shiro, you’re literally the most flustered person I’ve ever met. And I know _Keith_.”

Shiro groaned and put his head in his hands. Perfect. If he was that obvious, then Allura definitely knew. This was fantastic.

“Great, thanks,” Shiro said into his hands. “I hate you.”

“Oh come on, it’s fine!” Pidge said. “It’s not like we _forced_ her to do any of that. I’m pretty sure she was enjoying herself just as much as you were.”

Shiro lifted his head and glanced at Pidge. “Wait,” he said, “you didn’t–”

“Hey guys!”

Pidge and Shiro turned around and saw the rest of the group heading over, with Allura near the back. She had her hair down again and was smiling at some joke they were all laughing about. God, her smile. It made Shiro’s insides turn into a mess.

 _Focus, Shiro_ , he thought, _you’re the head of Voltron, you can’t let yourself get like this._

That thought evaporated when Allura’s eyes locked onto his.

“Hello, Shiro,” she said casually, smiling brightly. “Where’d you run off to?”

“Oh, just had a little chat with Pidge,” he said, grabbing Pidge and pressing him to his side. Pidge squirmed in protest and huffed. “We needed a, uh, bonding moment.”

Pidge rolled his eyes, but Allura seemed not to see. Or she was ignoring it. “Speaking of which,” she said, “I should have a similar bonding talk with Coran, here.” She grabbed Coran by the back of his collar and gave him a wicked grin. “There are a few things I’d like to discuss.”

“W-what? What did I do?!” Coran asked, distressed, and Shiro had to laugh.

“Don’t do anything too drastic, we still need him to fly the ship,” he reminded her. Allura just winked.

“Oh sure, but I can do that too.” She dragged Coran down the hall by his collar, the redhead making sounds of protest the whole way. “See you tomorrow, Shiro!”

“See ya!” he called, waving. He watched until both she and Coran were out of sight, rounding a corner to somewhere else in the castle. Then he turned around and saw his entire team staring at him.

“What?” he asked.

Hunk shook his head. “You are so in love.”

Shiro didn’t react for a good five seconds. When he finally did, all he said was, “Alright, I’m going to bed.”

“Aw, come on!” Lance called after him, leaning against Keith as Shiro walked down the hall. “Everyone knows it!”

“Yeah seriously,” Keith added, “it’s Allura! At least you aren’t stuck with Lance like I am.”

“What did you say?!”

“Oh sHIT–”

Shiro just chuckled and kept walking down the hallway, hoping Lance and Keith didn’t kill each other before morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiro:  
> http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/695/407/cd6.gif


	3. And Sinker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i'm pretty sure i'm physically incapable of writing something without angst because wHOOPS

As fantastic as the day had been, Shiro was hoping his night would be a little better than usual, but his mind naturally decided to disappoint. He woke up in a cold sweat at what felt like 2 am in the pitch-black darkness, alone in his room. It happened every night like clockwork. He hadn’t slept a full eight hours since Kerberos, and he doubted he ever would again.

He managed to calm down after a few minutes of staring into the void and climbed out of bed, heading for the training room. Going there always helped clear his head at night. It was easier to deal with the memories there, where he could bury them under focus and adrenaline. And it kept the rest of the team from finding out.

The lights turned on when he stepped in the room, and he asked for a punching bag. Just a good old-fashioned sack of sand for him to hit. He didn’t want to deal with sparring robots right now.

The room supplied his punching bag, and Shiro immediately went at it, wanting to push past tonight’s dreams as fast as possible. They’d been the same as usual – torture and imprisonment, experimentation, the works. Every nerve he had stood on end, and his hands were shaking like dead leaves, but he took out everything he had on the bag. He couldn’t be like this. He couldn’t let the others see him like this. He was their leader, their support, the one thing they could count on in this whole mess. If they saw him like this, weak and quaking in his boots at the thought of the Galra… they needed something to believe in. And if it was him, he had to make sure he was up to the task.

He punched the bag again, and a memory sparked and flew up to the surface.

_“So he is the one they call Champion.” Shiro couldn’t see, but he knew that voice. Zarkon, king of the Galra. He wondered if he should feel honored._

_“Yes, he defeated our mightiest warrior,” said another voice. Female. The Druid. “An impressive soldier, no doubt. I have great plans for him, my lord.”_

_“Oh I’m sure.” Zarkon’s presence was like a wall, solid and distinguishable even in the darkness, even when Shiro couldn’t move or breathe or see. Pressing in from all sides, trying to suffocate him. Like a coffin. Like a cage._

_“Do what you wish,” he said. Shiro could feel Zarkon above him, staring at him, but he couldn’t see. He_ couldn’t see _. “But remember your purpose, witch. He was their champion, and now he will be ours.”_

_They laughed, the two of them, and it filled Shiro’s head and stayed there and never came out, and then there was nothing but pain, pain and fear and darkness and his own screaming, trying to drown out the laughter in his head that wouldn’t stop, it would never stop, it was never ever going to stop–_

Shiro yelled and slammed his metal hand as hard as he could into the bag, knocking it clean off its chain and sending it flying into the wall. It hit and slid to the ground, sand spilling out onto the floor.

He stood there, staring at the sand, breathing hard and feeling emptier than he ever had. His hands were shaking – no, his whole body was shaking. Nothing he did could ever get that out of his head. Nothing. They’d always be in there, laughing, waiting for him to drop his guard, torture him and experiment on him and use him as their weapon. No matter how hard he hit that bag they’d be there. No matter how many Galra ships they destroyed and worlds they freed, they’d always, always be there.

He let his shoulders droop and put his head in his hands, tears welling up in his eyes. Shiro had never really escaped from the Galra, not really. And he had a feeling he never would.

“Shit,” he hissed. He had to clean this up. He should go back to bed and try to sleep, not be here ruining equipment.

“Shiro?”

His head shot up towards the door.

Allura.

She was standing there in her gown and robe, hair down, staring at him in concern, and Shiro realized just how exposed he was, how completely and utterly she could tell he had problems and that he was never, ever going to look the same in her eyes. At least she wasn’t in Voltron. At least she was her own leader, she didn’t need to rely on Shiro for anything, it didn’t damage her faith in the world to see him like this.

Or maybe it did, from the way she was looking at him.

He dropped his gaze and his hands and stared at the punching bag, telling himself to go over and start cleaning it up, to give himself something to do. But he didn’t. He just stood there, frozen, trying to think of something to say.

“I…” His voice was small, smaller than he’d ever heard it. “I couldn’t sleep.”

He didn’t look at her. He couldn’t.

“Shiro…” He could hear her footsteps as she approached, but he still wouldn’t look up. He wasn’t wearing any shoes, he realized. He’d just rolled out of bed and come here without shoes. His feet were cold. Really cold. So was most of him actually. Maybe he was just shaking from the cold. Maybe that was it. Maybe it wasn’t something else.

She felt him take her hands, and his left hand stung suddenly. He hissed, looking at it. His knuckles were red and bleeding.

“Why didn’t you wrap your hand?” she asked. Her voice was barely a whisper. “Shiro–”

“I forgot,” he said, and that told her all she needed to know. Shiro didn’t forget things like that. He didn’t forget shoes, he didn’t forget to wrap his hands before sparring. They were small things to remember, but when half your past is a void and the other half is pain, small things help. They kept him sane.

What if this was him going insane? What if the Galra’s experiments had finally started working?

“Shiro, look at me.” He felt her hands on his face and they guided his eyes to hers, and they were so open and kind that he almost believed they weren’t real. How was she looking at him like that? Didn’t she realize what he was?

“Allura, I’m sorry–” he began, his voice breaking, but she shook her head and filled the gap in his words with her own.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” she said. “It wasn’t your fault. None of it.”

Shiro looked away, but Allura moved her head, forcing his eyes to lock onto hers again. He didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve her. Why was she doing this for him?

“It wasn’t your fault,” she repeated.

And Shiro crumbled.

He bowed his head and shut his eyes, tears leaking out the sides, and he hated it, he hated being vulnerable and exposed for every ugly, unspeakable part of him out in the open for her to see. He hated it. But Allura just stayed, saying nothing, and her presence meant more to him than he could ever comprehend.

She wrapped him up in a hug and Shiro practically sank into her, pressing her against him and letting everything else slip away. For a few seconds, he wished this moment would never end.

But she pulled away and it did, and Shiro looked in her eyes and saw something different in them, something new, and Allura’s hands found his face and she pulled him down to kiss her.

 _No_ , he thought, _this is the moment I wish would never end_.

And for a good long while, it didn’t.

* * *

The next morning, Keith woke up first, yawning and stretching like a cat before climbing out of his bunk. He opened the door to his room and walked into the lounge, bleary-eyed and less focused than he wanted to be. He needed caffeine immediately.

The second he passed by the lounge, he paused and turned towards the center of the couches, wondering if what he was seeing was actually real.

Oh it was. And that woke him up faster than any caffeine ever could.

“Holy shit,” he whispered, staring. On the floor of the lounge, curled up together under a blanket, were Shiro and Allura. They were fast asleep, and Keith briefly wondered if they’d had sex, but no, if they’d gone that far, they would’ve at least had the decency to do it in a room. This was just cuddling. Innocent… adorable… cuddling…

Hunk’s door opened and he walked out, yawning loudly. “Hey Ke–” he began, but Keith shushed him and gestured him over. Hunk complied, and when he saw the pair on the floor, his jaw dropped.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked. “It worked?!”

Soon, the other two paladins, Coran, and even Allura’s mice were all gathered in the lounge, staring at the couple. It was, to be quite honest, ridiculously adorable. Plus, it helped wake everyone up.

Pidge took about ten thousand pictures and promised to send them to everyone as soon as he could. Lance said good and rubbed his hands together, scheming. Keith knew that look. This wasn’t going anywhere good.

* * *

Half an hour later, Shiro and Allura walked into the kitchen holding hands, bleary-eyed and ready for caffeine. What they found instead were five people and four mice standing on the kitchen counter, cheering and holding up a banner that said, “CONGRATS ON FINALLY GETTING TOGETHER YOU PINING IDIOTS!” Probably done by Lance. No, definitely done by Lance. That was his signature in the corner. Perfect.

Shiro would’ve melted into the floor had Allura not been there.

“After we wake up,” she grumbled, “I’ll take out the left half, and you take out the right half.”

“Which half is Lance on?”

“We can tear him in half or something.”

Lance visibly paled as everyone else just laughed. Keith punched him on the arm. “Told you this was a bad idea, genius.”

Shiro and Allura didn’t stop holding hands for the rest of the day.


End file.
